The following essay will detail and break-down the "going-ons" of the Cumberland School District, and more specifically Cumberland High School. Written below is a detailed summary of the major and minor points of Cumberland High School, the school district as a whole, and the surrounding community. These major points include the towns socio-econonomics, the communities commitment to education and academic achievement, the diversity of both the town and the schoool, and many more major components that will define the Cumberland experience as a whole. The High School, school district, and surrounding community only exist with full cooperation from one another. They go hand in hand, as each piece has major control over the others. The following essay is designed to help any incoming teacher, person, or representative as they come to the community. They will learn the aspects of the town and more specifically Cumberland High School, with all its negative and positive aspects. The facts that will be presented will help in your understanding and learning about Cumberland, as a whole.
Cumberland High School is located at 2600 Mendon Road in Cumberland, Providence County, Rhode Island (Cumberland High School r,2007). Cumberland High School is home to 1547 students, as it houses grades 9-12. The ninth grade houses 439 students, the tenth grade houses 397 students, the eleventh grade houses 350 students, and grade twelve houses 361 students (Public School Review q, 2007) . With so many students, the average class size comes in at 13-1 (Greatschools.net s, 2007). The school houses twenty-eight clubs, twenty different athletic teams/club sports for both boys and girls, and two different newspapers (Wikipedia.org w, 2007). Even with so many students, the school lacks diversity. The school is made up of 92% white, 2% are African American, 1% are Asian, 4% are Hispanic, and 1% are Native American (RIDE d, 2007). The school is considered one of the best in the state of Rhode Island, as it has met all the standards for the S.A.T's, E.L.A's, and the No Child Left Behind Act.
The actual town of Cumberland is a suburban community, housing 31, 840 people (Public School Review n, 2007). It is located approximately twenty-three minutes from Providence, fifty-seven minutes from Boston, and fifty-three minutes from the University of Rhode Island. The town, explaining for the schools lack of diversity, is very one-dimensional itself. The town is made up of 96.7% white, .6% African-American, .1% Indian, .1% Alaskan Native, .8% Asian-American, and holds a 2.1% Hispanic/Latino population (US Census o, 2000). The town of Cumberland is also considered one of the nicest communities in the state of Rhode Island.
Community Background
The town of Cumberland, Rhode Island is home to 31,840 people (Public School Review n, 2007). The town, much like the school system lacks diversity. The town is made up of 96.7% white, .6% African-American, .1% Indian, .1% Alaskan Native, .8% Asian-American, and 2.1% Hispanic. The town lacks diversity compared to the acutal state of Rhode Island. The state of Rhode Island is made up of 82.6% white, 5.1% African-American, .4% American Indian, .4% Alaskan, 2.8% Asian-American, and 11% Hispanic (RIDE z5, 2006). The town is also made up of 52.3% women and 47.7% men (US Census o, 2000). As the town is suburban, it is a town with mostly houses. Approximately 97% of the housing units in the town are occupied. About 76.7% of these houses are fully owned, 23.3% of the houses are leased. About 3% of the houses are completely vacant (US Census o, 2000). The average age of the housing in Cumberland is 44 years old. On average, 2.59 people occupy each house, and on average 3.05 people make up each family unit (US Census o, 2000). These figures are low compared to the state of Rhode Island as a whole. The state has averages of 2.53 as the household size and 3.13 as the average family size (US Census z5, 2006).
The age of the people of the town is highly diverse. First of all, 75.8% of the people in the town are eighteen years old or older, and 16% are age 65 or older, the median age of the town falling in at 39.3 years of age (US Census o, 2000). Those in the town making over two-hundred thousand dollars a year are 2.8% of the community Those making between one-hundred thousand and two-hundred thousand dollars a year are 14.8% of the community. Those making between fifty thousand and one-hundred thousand dollars a year come out to be 36.8%. Those making fewer then fifty thousand dollars a year make up the majority at 45.5% (US Census x, 1999). The poverty line is also not a major problem in the town, compared with the state as a whole, as only 6.8% of the town register to be living below the poverty line. Families under the poverty line represent 2.9% of the community where individuals under the poverty line represent another 3.9% of the community. The state of Rhode Island has 11% of their people below the poverty line, and 7.8% of their families below the poverty line (US Census, z5 2006). The town, as a whole, has shown that there are working situations available, for 66.3% of the people within the town are employed (US Census o, 2000). Compared to the state of Rhode Island, the working situation is right on target as 66.1% of the people who in live in Rhode Island are employed (US Census z5, 2006). This may attribute to their being 768 total offenses in the last year, mostly petty and smaller offences (Cumberland Police Department m, 2007). As recently as 2001, Barrington, RI police recorded having 2112 total offenses (Barrington Police Department z, 2001), Providence had 10331 cases of crime in 2004 (Area Connect z1, 2005), and Newport had 1267 cases of crime in 2004 (Area Connect z2, 2005). In comparison, Cumberland hasn't had a major crime problem, having less crime than these three fellow towns. A lack of crime can be attributed to the educational commitment of the town. Even though, the overall educational experience of the community is very strong. About 81.4% of the community have graduated high school or have advanced to college, About 29.5% of them have received a bachelor degree or higher (US Census o, 2000). The community, despite their own academic achievements, still remain very involved in the schools as an estimated 10% of the people remain involved with the school district (RIDE b, 2006). This information tells us many different things about the community. First of all, this is a community that values education. Over 80% of the community has graduated from high school, another 29% of them recieving college degrees. Secondly, this is a town that does not value diversity. This is a predomintly white, middle-class town. Finally, the crime rate in this town is nonexistant in comparison to other towns. This is a small Rhode Island town, and the people have come to reflex those values.
This 10% is on par with the average in Rhode Island (Ride b, 2006). Rhode Island schools average percentage for parental participation is 10% (Ride b, 2006). Though, forty-six percent of the teachers who work in the Cumberland district say that parent involvement is essential, compared to 50% by Rhode Island high schools. Of the teachers, 20% of them feel that parent/community involvement and support is essential, compared to 30% by Rhode Island high schools (Ride b, 2006). Finally, 77% of the teachers say that they maintain a positive relationship with the parents, compared to an equal 77% by Rhode Island Schools (Ride b, 2006). On the flip side, 21% of the parents say that the teachers call the parents when their child is doing well, compared to 30% by Rhode Island High Schools. Also, 41% of the parents are concerned that their requests are returned in a timely matter (RIDE b, 2006), compared to 50% by Rhode Island High Schools (RIDE b, 2006). The town also has a few things to offer the school district in other ways. They have two major parks, Diamond Hill Park and Valley Falls Heritage Park, which help aid in learning and can help with the opening and enhancing of young minds (Visit New England t, 2004).
District Summary
Cumberland has a population of 31,840 people, exactly 33% of the total poppulation of Rhode Island which is 1,067,610. The school district with one high school, two middle schools, and seven elementary schools house a combine 5122 kids. Being such a large district, its important that we come to understand the child-distribution of the town and everything that comes with it. These ratios are very important becuae they give us a visual image of the classrooms themselves. They allow us to look past the large size of the school district as a whole, and allow us to know that these kids are in smaller, more compact environments, thus making their educations more personal. Cumberland High School holds 1547 students, with a 13-1 student to teacher ratio (Public School Review h, 2006). Cumberland Middle school holds 565 kids at a 11-1 student to teacher ratio where North Cumberland Middle Schools holds 695 kids, with a 12-1 teacher to student ratio. Their are seven elementary schools. The first being Ashton School which holds 360 students at a 11-1 student to teacher ratio. B.F. Norton Elementary School holds 329 students at a 11-1 student teacher rate. Community School holds 617 kids at a 14-1 student to teacher ratio. Cumberland Hill Annex Elementary holds 154 students at a 11-1 student to teacher ratio. Cumberland Hill School holds 434 students, at a 12-1 student to teacher ratio. Cumberland Pre-School center holds 84 kids, at a 12-1 student to teacher ratio. Finally, Garvin Memorial Elementary holds 337 students at a 10-1 student to teacher ratio. The average student to teacher ratio in the district is 12-1 (Public School Review q, 2007). These schools have split up the poppulation quite nicely. All the schools have found a way to keep the classrooms personal, and to give each kid the personal attention it deserves. With all these students recieving such personal and specialized care, the bills have begun adding up. The school district collects $49,113,000 in revenue per year (Public School Review n, 2007).
The teaching practices at the school are good. An estimated 40% of the teachers read over and fully inspect a students work to guide in future instruction. Roughly 46% of the students recieve writing instruction to better their work. About 63% are taught decision making and problem solving, About 38% of the material that is taught to the kids go's along with their interests and what they may want to learn about. These stats have had a nice effect on a minimum of the students, as 19% of the students have begun revising their own papers, 18% give feedback on their papers to one another (RIDE g, 2006). These stats fall right in the middle of the stats taken of Rhode Island schools. These stats fall in at exactly #31 of the 60 schools whos stats were taken by the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE g, 2006).
The economics of the town are highly diverse. The majority of the people, 45.5%, lie within the interval of earning up to fifty thousand dollars a year. The next biggest percentage, 36.8%, lies in those who earn between fifty and one hundred thousand dollars a year. Another 14.8% earn between one hundred thousand and two hundred thousand dollars a year, Finally 2.8% earn above two-hundred thousand dollars a year (US Census x, 1999). Despite the diversity of the economics of the town, the school is still able to offer many great "opportunities" to all students. The school offers twenty different athletic possibilities for its students (Wikipedia w, 2007). The high school team holds 47 championship titles and 3 New England titles. These include 5 state championships in golf, seven state championships and one New England title in boys swimming, 5 state championships in girls swimming. Their most recent title came in wrestling in 2005 (Rhode Island High School Sports p, 2007).
The school works with Woonsocket Area Career and Technical Center. This school offers opportunities that would not be offered in a high school stage. Such courses that can be taken are Academy of Information Technology, Automotive Mechanics, Child Studies/Human Services, Cisco Networking Academy, Collision Repair Academy, Construction Academy, Cox Communications New Media Academy, Culinary Arts, Finance Academy, Graphics/Printing, Health Occupations, and the Travel/Tourism Academy (Cumberland High School u, 2007). An awfully large percentage of the student body is represented by those with a disability (RIDE k, 2006). About 20.29% of the student body has a disability, and are enrolled in the Special Education program of the school. Roughly 55% of students in the school district participate in the general classes with assistance or special advantage. Another 20% participate in the regular classes 40-79% of the time. Another 13% are in the general classes less than 40% of the day. Roughly 5% are taught in a private facility to match their needs. Another 3% are homebound or hospitalized. Finally, another 2% are in residential facilities. This leads to a total of 1339 students receiving disability services of some kind (RIDE k, 2006). To take care of and meet the needs of these kids, the school has invested a total of $13,191,736. This evens out to be about $11,582 per child (RIDE y, 2006). Even though, The district will provide busing for all students within town limits to attend a school within the district despite their needs(Cumberland Schools l, 1987).
School Analysis
The school has never failed to meet or exceed expectation. The average SAT surpass the average SAT scores of the state of Rhode Island in both mathematics and the Verbal component. In the math component, Cumberland High scored an average of 514, beating out the state average of 494 (RIDE z3, 2006). In the verbal, the school scored an average of 498, beating out the state average of 484 (RIDE z3, 2006). The school also beat out the state averages for students taking the SATs. The school had 68% of its seniors take the test, where the average for the state was at 57% (RIDE z3, 2006). The school also excelled in terms of the No Child Left Behind Act. In England Language Arts for No Child Left Behind, the national target is 68.8% where Cumberland reached 88.6%. In mathematics, the national target is at 54% where Cumberland reached 76.9% (RIDE a, 2006). Cumberland Highschool met all projected targets. On the English Language-Arts test, Cumberland achieved the standard on all sections . They scored 52% on the "Reading basic understanding", scored 51% on "Analysis and Interpretation", scored 53% on "Writing and Effectiveness", and scored 72% on "Convections (RIDE a, 2006)." The school also offers a wide variety of Advanced Placement courses. A total of 115 AP exams were taken during the last school year and 77% of them scored high enough to be counted for college credit (RIDE v, 2006). The number of kids who took the AP exams was the fifteenth highest in the state, out of 52 different schools (RIDE v, 2006), and better than the state average. Overall, the schools graduation rate is 88%, which is better than the state average of 85%. Unfortunately, their is also a chunk of people at 12% who drop out, but that is still better than the Rhode Island average of 15% (RIDE c, 2006). The average student-teacher ratio of the school is 13-1, allowing for more personal attention to each student (RIDE h, 2006). The teachers take should take a great amount of credit for the students success's. There are 120 teachers in the district (RIDE i, 2006). Roughly 30 percent of students say that teachers take a "personal interest" in them as people (RIDE f, 2006). Another 15% actively get help from teachers for their subjects. Roughly 40% of students feel that they have a "belonging" in the school (RIDE f, 2006). About 65% of parents view teachers as "partners" in the process of education, and another 30% of teachers actively inform the teachers on school issues (RIDE f, 2006). These numbers are low in comparison to Barrington High School. At Barrington, 35% of students say the teacher take a personal interest, 15% actively get help from their teachers, roughly 60% of students feel that they have a "belonging" in the school (RIDE z4, 2006). About 80% of parents view teachers as "partners" in the process of education, and another another 60% of teachers actively inform the teachers on school issues (RIDE z4, 2006). These teachers who go the extra mile deserve a great deal of credit.
The health and saftey records of the school is "mediocre" compared to those of other high schools in Rhode Island. In Cumberland High, 30% of students smoke compared to 20% on average in other Rhode Island high schools. About 25% chew tobacco compared with 15% in other high schools. About 40% do illegal drugs at Cumberland High, compared to 30% at other Rhode Island schools. Approximately 50% drink alcohol compared to 40% at other high schools. About 45% smoke marijuana compared to the state average of 40%. Sleep is also a major health problem at the school as about 70% of the students report getting less than 7 hours of sleep per night, which is right on pace with the Rhode Island average. Finally, 25% at Cumberland and Rhode Island high schools do not eat healthy (RIDE e, 2006). Parent participation is on par with the state average at 10% . The school lacks ethnicity. About 92% of the school is white, 2% is African-American, 1% is Asian-American, 4% are Hispanic, and another 1% is Native American (RIDE d, 2006). One hundred percent of the school population do not recieve ESL Services (RIDE d, 2006).
The school's socio-economic status is highly diverse. Those in the town making over two-hundred thousand dollars a year are 2.8% of the community Those making between one-hundred thousand and two-hundred thousand dollars a year are 14.8% of the community. Those making between fifty thousand and one-hundred thousand dollars a year come out to be 36.8%. Those making under fifty thousand dollars a year make up the majority at 45.5% (US Census x, 1999). Those who are elgiable for the free or reduced lunch at the school make out 12% of the poppulation, much better than the state average of 32% . The school has 28 different clubs and 20 different sports for both boys and girls (Wikipedia w, 2007). The school also has 2 different newspapers, one being a Literary Magazine and one being a French Newsletter. The school sports has won 47 titles, including 3 New England titles. These titles include 5 state championships in golf, 7 titles, 1 being a New England title, in boys swimming, and 5 state championships in girls swimming (Rhode Island High School Sports p, 2007). All of these clubs, sports, and teachers cost money. It's estimated the school spends $8,406 per pupil (Great Schools.net j, 2006). It's estimated that 60% of that figure is spent on instructional, 17% for student and staff support, 8% for administration, and 15% for other expenditures (Great Schools.net j, 2006)
Conclusion
Cumberland High School is a very good, up and coming high school. With stats that show it has surpassed the state averages for the No Child Left Behind Act, the SATs, and graduates a higher percentage of students than the state average. The academic and educational commitment within the town is impressive. With over 80% of the town graduating and another 29% of the towns poppulace recieving college degrees, education is highly valued within the town. The town also has come to take part in the educational system, on average 10% of the people of the town participate in the school district, right on par with the state average. The school does have its downfall though. The percentages of health practices and parent-teacher communication are well below state averages. The state also falls below many other schools in academic performance, though better than most. Just like with any public school, you are going to take the ups with the downs. But none the less, it is a good school, which has consistently reached the standards set forth by the state and national government. Cumberland High is a good school, in a good district, in a fine town.
Cumberland High School
Introduction
The following essay will detail and break-down the "going-ons" of the Cumberland School District, and more specifically Cumberland High School. Written below is a detailed summary of the major and minor points of Cumberland High School, the school district as a whole, and the surrounding community. These major points include the towns socio-econonomics, the communities commitment to education and academic achievement, the diversity of both the town and the schoool, and many more major components that will define the Cumberland experience as a whole. The High School, school district, and surrounding community only exist with full cooperation from one another. They go hand in hand, as each piece has major control over the others. The following essay is designed to help any incoming teacher, person, or representative as they come to the community. They will learn the aspects of the town and more specifically Cumberland High School, with all its negative and positive aspects. The facts that will be presented will help in your understanding and learning about Cumberland, as a whole.Cumberland High School is located at 2600 Mendon Road in Cumberland, Providence County, Rhode Island (Cumberland High School r,2007). Cumberland High School is home to 1547 students, as it houses grades 9-12. The ninth grade houses 439 students, the tenth grade houses 397 students, the eleventh grade houses 350 students, and grade twelve houses 361 students (Public School Review q, 2007) . With so many students, the average class size comes in at 13-1 (Greatschools.net s, 2007). The school houses twenty-eight clubs, twenty different athletic teams/club sports for both boys and girls, and two different newspapers (Wikipedia.org w, 2007). Even with so many students, the school lacks diversity. The school is made up of 92% white, 2% are African American, 1% are Asian, 4% are Hispanic, and 1% are Native American (RIDE d, 2007). The school is considered one of the best in the state of Rhode Island, as it has met all the standards for the S.A.T's, E.L.A's, and the No Child Left Behind Act.
The actual town of Cumberland is a suburban community, housing 31, 840 people (Public School Review n, 2007). It is located approximately twenty-three minutes from Providence, fifty-seven minutes from Boston, and fifty-three minutes from the University of Rhode Island. The town, explaining for the schools lack of diversity, is very one-dimensional itself. The town is made up of 96.7% white, .6% African-American, .1% Indian, .1% Alaskan Native, .8% Asian-American, and holds a 2.1% Hispanic/Latino population (US Census o, 2000). The town of Cumberland is also considered one of the nicest communities in the state of Rhode Island.
Community Background
The town of Cumberland, Rhode Island is home to 31,840 people (Public School Review n, 2007). The town, much like the school system lacks diversity. The town is made up of 96.7% white, .6% African-American, .1% Indian, .1% Alaskan Native, .8% Asian-American, and 2.1% Hispanic. The town lacks diversity compared to the acutal state of Rhode Island. The state of Rhode Island is made up of 82.6% white, 5.1% African-American, .4% American Indian, .4% Alaskan, 2.8% Asian-American, and 11% Hispanic (RIDE z5, 2006). The town is also made up of 52.3% women and 47.7% men (US Census o, 2000). As the town is suburban, it is a town with mostly houses. Approximately 97% of the housing units in the town are occupied. About 76.7% of these houses are fully owned, 23.3% of the houses are leased. About 3% of the houses are completely vacant (US Census o, 2000). The average age of the housing in Cumberland is 44 years old. On average, 2.59 people occupy each house, and on average 3.05 people make up each family unit (US Census o, 2000). These figures are low compared to the state of Rhode Island as a whole. The state has averages of 2.53 as the household size and 3.13 as the average family size (US Census z5, 2006).The age of the people of the town is highly diverse. First of all, 75.8% of the people in the town are eighteen years old or older, and 16% are age 65 or older, the median age of the town falling in at 39.3 years of age (US Census o, 2000). Those in the town making over two-hundred thousand dollars a year are 2.8% of the community Those making between one-hundred thousand and two-hundred thousand dollars a year are 14.8% of the community. Those making between fifty thousand and one-hundred thousand dollars a year come out to be 36.8%. Those making fewer then fifty thousand dollars a year make up the majority at 45.5% (US Census x, 1999). The poverty line is also not a major problem in the town, compared with the state as a whole, as only 6.8% of the town register to be living below the poverty line. Families under the poverty line represent 2.9% of the community where individuals under the poverty line represent another 3.9% of the community. The state of Rhode Island has 11% of their people below the poverty line, and 7.8% of their families below the poverty line (US Census, z5 2006). The town, as a whole, has shown that there are working situations available, for 66.3% of the people within the town are employed (US Census o, 2000). Compared to the state of Rhode Island, the working situation is right on target as 66.1% of the people who in live in Rhode Island are employed (US Census z5, 2006). This may attribute to their being 768 total offenses in the last year, mostly petty and smaller offences (Cumberland Police Department m, 2007). As recently as 2001, Barrington, RI police recorded having 2112 total offenses (Barrington Police Department z, 2001), Providence had 10331 cases of crime in 2004 (Area Connect z1, 2005), and Newport had 1267 cases of crime in 2004 (Area Connect z2, 2005). In comparison, Cumberland hasn't had a major crime problem, having less crime than these three fellow towns. A lack of crime can be attributed to the educational commitment of the town. Even though, the overall educational experience of the community is very strong. About 81.4% of the community have graduated high school or have advanced to college, About 29.5% of them have received a bachelor degree or higher (US Census o, 2000). The community, despite their own academic achievements, still remain very involved in the schools as an estimated 10% of the people remain involved with the school district (RIDE b, 2006). This information tells us many different things about the community. First of all, this is a community that values education. Over 80% of the community has graduated from high school, another 29% of them recieving college degrees. Secondly, this is a town that does not value diversity. This is a predomintly white, middle-class town. Finally, the crime rate in this town is nonexistant in comparison to other towns. This is a small Rhode Island town, and the people have come to reflex those values.
This 10% is on par with the average in Rhode Island (Ride b, 2006). Rhode Island schools average percentage for parental participation is 10% (Ride b, 2006). Though, forty-six percent of the teachers who work in the Cumberland district say that parent involvement is essential, compared to 50% by Rhode Island high schools. Of the teachers, 20% of them feel that parent/community involvement and support is essential, compared to 30% by Rhode Island high schools (Ride b, 2006). Finally, 77% of the teachers say that they maintain a positive relationship with the parents, compared to an equal 77% by Rhode Island Schools (Ride b, 2006). On the flip side, 21% of the parents say that the teachers call the parents when their child is doing well, compared to 30% by Rhode Island High Schools. Also, 41% of the parents are concerned that their requests are returned in a timely matter (RIDE b, 2006), compared to 50% by Rhode Island High Schools (RIDE b, 2006). The town also has a few things to offer the school district in other ways. They have two major parks, Diamond Hill Park and Valley Falls Heritage Park, which help aid in learning and can help with the opening and enhancing of young minds (Visit New England t, 2004).
District Summary
Cumberland has a population of 31,840 people, exactly 33% of the total poppulation of Rhode Island which is 1,067,610. The school district with one high school, two middle schools, and seven elementary schools house a combine 5122 kids. Being such a large district, its important that we come to understand the child-distribution of the town and everything that comes with it. These ratios are very important becuae they give us a visual image of the classrooms themselves. They allow us to look past the large size of the school district as a whole, and allow us to know that these kids are in smaller, more compact environments, thus making their educations more personal. Cumberland High School holds 1547 students, with a 13-1 student to teacher ratio (Public School Review h, 2006). Cumberland Middle school holds 565 kids at a 11-1 student to teacher ratio where North Cumberland Middle Schools holds 695 kids, with a 12-1 teacher to student ratio. Their are seven elementary schools. The first being Ashton School which holds 360 students at a 11-1 student to teacher ratio. B.F. Norton Elementary School holds 329 students at a 11-1 student teacher rate. Community School holds 617 kids at a 14-1 student to teacher ratio. Cumberland Hill Annex Elementary holds 154 students at a 11-1 student to teacher ratio. Cumberland Hill School holds 434 students, at a 12-1 student to teacher ratio. Cumberland Pre-School center holds 84 kids, at a 12-1 student to teacher ratio. Finally, Garvin Memorial Elementary holds 337 students at a 10-1 student to teacher ratio. The average student to teacher ratio in the district is 12-1 (Public School Review q, 2007). These schools have split up the poppulation quite nicely. All the schools have found a way to keep the classrooms personal, and to give each kid the personal attention it deserves. With all these students recieving such personal and specialized care, the bills have begun adding up. The school district collects $49,113,000 in revenue per year (Public School Review n, 2007).The teaching practices at the school are good. An estimated 40% of the teachers read over and fully inspect a students work to guide in future instruction. Roughly 46% of the students recieve writing instruction to better their work. About 63% are taught decision making and problem solving, About 38% of the material that is taught to the kids go's along with their interests and what they may want to learn about. These stats have had a nice effect on a minimum of the students, as 19% of the students have begun revising their own papers, 18% give feedback on their papers to one another (RIDE g, 2006). These stats fall right in the middle of the stats taken of Rhode Island schools. These stats fall in at exactly #31 of the 60 schools whos stats were taken by the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE g, 2006).
The economics of the town are highly diverse. The majority of the people, 45.5%, lie within the interval of earning up to fifty thousand dollars a year. The next biggest percentage, 36.8%, lies in those who earn between fifty and one hundred thousand dollars a year. Another 14.8% earn between one hundred thousand and two hundred thousand dollars a year, Finally 2.8% earn above two-hundred thousand dollars a year (US Census x, 1999). Despite the diversity of the economics of the town, the school is still able to offer many great "opportunities" to all students. The school offers twenty different athletic possibilities for its students (Wikipedia w, 2007). The high school team holds 47 championship titles and 3 New England titles. These include 5 state championships in golf, seven state championships and one New England title in boys swimming, 5 state championships in girls swimming. Their most recent title came in wrestling in 2005 (Rhode Island High School Sports p, 2007).
The school works with Woonsocket Area Career and Technical Center. This school offers opportunities that would not be offered in a high school stage. Such courses that can be taken are Academy of Information Technology, Automotive Mechanics, Child Studies/Human Services, Cisco Networking Academy, Collision Repair Academy, Construction Academy, Cox Communications New Media Academy, Culinary Arts, Finance Academy, Graphics/Printing, Health Occupations, and the Travel/Tourism Academy (Cumberland High School u, 2007). An awfully large percentage of the student body is represented by those with a disability (RIDE k, 2006). About 20.29% of the student body has a disability, and are enrolled in the Special Education program of the school. Roughly 55% of students in the school district participate in the general classes with assistance or special advantage. Another 20% participate in the regular classes 40-79% of the time. Another 13% are in the general classes less than 40% of the day. Roughly 5% are taught in a private facility to match their needs. Another 3% are homebound or hospitalized. Finally, another 2% are in residential facilities. This leads to a total of 1339 students receiving disability services of some kind (RIDE k, 2006). To take care of and meet the needs of these kids, the school has invested a total of $13,191,736. This evens out to be about $11,582 per child (RIDE y, 2006). Even though, The district will provide busing for all students within town limits to attend a school within the district despite their needs(Cumberland Schools l, 1987).
School Analysis
The school has never failed to meet or exceed expectation. The average SAT surpass the average SAT scores of the state of Rhode Island in both mathematics and the Verbal component. In the math component, Cumberland High scored an average of 514, beating out the state average of 494 (RIDE z3, 2006). In the verbal, the school scored an average of 498, beating out the state average of 484 (RIDE z3, 2006). The school also beat out the state averages for students taking the SATs. The school had 68% of its seniors take the test, where the average for the state was at 57% (RIDE z3, 2006). The school also excelled in terms of the No Child Left Behind Act. In England Language Arts for No Child Left Behind, the national target is 68.8% where Cumberland reached 88.6%. In mathematics, the national target is at 54% where Cumberland reached 76.9% (RIDE a, 2006). Cumberland Highschool met all projected targets. On the English Language-Arts test, Cumberland achieved the standard on all sections . They scored 52% on the "Reading basic understanding", scored 51% on "Analysis and Interpretation", scored 53% on "Writing and Effectiveness", and scored 72% on "Convections (RIDE a, 2006)." The school also offers a wide variety of Advanced Placement courses. A total of 115 AP exams were taken during the last school year and 77% of them scored high enough to be counted for college credit (RIDE v, 2006). The number of kids who took the AP exams was the fifteenth highest in the state, out of 52 different schools (RIDE v, 2006), and better than the state average. Overall, the schools graduation rate is 88%, which is better than the state average of 85%. Unfortunately, their is also a chunk of people at 12% who drop out, but that is still better than the Rhode Island average of 15% (RIDE c, 2006). The average student-teacher ratio of the school is 13-1, allowing for more personal attention to each student (RIDE h, 2006). The teachers take should take a great amount of credit for the students success's. There are 120 teachers in the district (RIDE i, 2006). Roughly 30 percent of students say that teachers take a "personal interest" in them as people (RIDE f, 2006). Another 15% actively get help from teachers for their subjects. Roughly 40% of students feel that they have a "belonging" in the school (RIDE f, 2006). About 65% of parents view teachers as "partners" in the process of education, and another 30% of teachers actively inform the teachers on school issues (RIDE f, 2006). These numbers are low in comparison to Barrington High School. At Barrington, 35% of students say the teacher take a personal interest, 15% actively get help from their teachers, roughly 60% of students feel that they have a "belonging" in the school (RIDE z4, 2006). About 80% of parents view teachers as "partners" in the process of education, and another another 60% of teachers actively inform the teachers on school issues (RIDE z4, 2006). These teachers who go the extra mile deserve a great deal of credit.The health and saftey records of the school is "mediocre" compared to those of other high schools in Rhode Island. In Cumberland High, 30% of students smoke compared to 20% on average in other Rhode Island high schools. About 25% chew tobacco compared with 15% in other high schools. About 40% do illegal drugs at Cumberland High, compared to 30% at other Rhode Island schools. Approximately 50% drink alcohol compared to 40% at other high schools. About 45% smoke marijuana compared to the state average of 40%. Sleep is also a major health problem at the school as about 70% of the students report getting less than 7 hours of sleep per night, which is right on pace with the Rhode Island average. Finally, 25% at Cumberland and Rhode Island high schools do not eat healthy (RIDE e, 2006). Parent participation is on par with the state average at 10% . The school lacks ethnicity. About 92% of the school is white, 2% is African-American, 1% is Asian-American, 4% are Hispanic, and another 1% is Native American (RIDE d, 2006). One hundred percent of the school population do not recieve ESL Services (RIDE d, 2006).
The school's socio-economic status is highly diverse. Those in the town making over two-hundred thousand dollars a year are 2.8% of the community Those making between one-hundred thousand and two-hundred thousand dollars a year are 14.8% of the community. Those making between fifty thousand and one-hundred thousand dollars a year come out to be 36.8%. Those making under fifty thousand dollars a year make up the majority at 45.5% (US Census x, 1999). Those who are elgiable for the free or reduced lunch at the school make out 12% of the poppulation, much better than the state average of 32% . The school has 28 different clubs and 20 different sports for both boys and girls (Wikipedia w, 2007). The school also has 2 different newspapers, one being a Literary Magazine and one being a French Newsletter. The school sports has won 47 titles, including 3 New England titles. These titles include 5 state championships in golf, 7 titles, 1 being a New England title, in boys swimming, and 5 state championships in girls swimming (Rhode Island High School Sports p, 2007). All of these clubs, sports, and teachers cost money. It's estimated the school spends $8,406 per pupil (Great Schools.net j, 2006). It's estimated that 60% of that figure is spent on instructional, 17% for student and staff support, 8% for administration, and 15% for other expenditures (Great Schools.net j, 2006)
Conclusion
Cumberland High School is a very good, up and coming high school. With stats that show it has surpassed the state averages for the No Child Left Behind Act, the SATs, and graduates a higher percentage of students than the state average. The academic and educational commitment within the town is impressive. With over 80% of the town graduating and another 29% of the towns poppulace recieving college degrees, education is highly valued within the town. The town also has come to take part in the educational system, on average 10% of the people of the town participate in the school district, right on par with the state average. The school does have its downfall though. The percentages of health practices and parent-teacher communication are well below state averages. The state also falls below many other schools in academic performance, though better than most. Just like with any public school, you are going to take the ups with the downs. But none the less, it is a good school, which has consistently reached the standards set forth by the state and national government. Cumberland High is a good school, in a good district, in a fine town.References
a: Rhode Island Department of Education, (2006). Learning and Achievement: Assessments. Retrieved October 15, 2007, from Information that Works Web site: http://www.eride.ri.gov/reportcard/06/ReportCard.aspx?schCode=08114&schType=3b: Rhode Island Department of Education, (2006). Engaging Families and Communities. Retrieved October 15, 2007, Web site: http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2007/pdf/engagefamily/08114H-fami.pdf
c: Rhode Island Department of Education, (2006). Learning and Achievement: Accountability. Retrieved October 15, 2007, Web site: http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2007/pdf/accountability/08114H-acco.pdf
d: Rhode Island Department of Education, (2006). Using Information. Retrieved October 15, 2007, Web site: http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2007/pdf/usinginfo/08114H-info.pdf
e: Rhode Island Department of Education, (2006). Safe and Supportive Schools: Health Risks. Retrieved October 15, 2007, Web site: http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2007/pdf/Health/08114H-heal.pdf
f: Rhode Island Department of Education, (2006). Safe and Supportive Schools: Connectedness. Retrieved October 15, 2007, Web site: http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2007/pdf/connectedness/08114H-conn.pdf
g: Rhode Island Department of Education, (2006). Curriculum and Teaching Practices:Teaching Practices. Retrieved October 15, 2007, Web site: http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2007/state/teachingpractices-high.pdf
h: Rhode Island Department of Education, (2006). Recruiting and Supporting Teachers. Retrieved October 15, 2007, Web site: http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2007/pdf/recruit/08114H-recr.pdf
i: Public School Review, (2007). Public School Review: Cumberland High School. Retrieved October 15, 2007, Web site: 74|www.publicscoorreview.com(Shortened URL)]]
j: Greatschools.net, (2007). Cumberland High School: District Overview. Retrieved October 15, 2007, Web site: http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/ri/district_profile/9?schoolId=74
k:Rhode Island Department of Education, (2006). Using Information: District Demographics and Indicators. Retrieved October 18, 2007, Web site: http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2007/pdf/ds-usinginfo/08d-info.pdf
l: Cumberland School District, (1987). Cumberland School Department Transportation Policy. Retrieved October 15, 2007, Web site: http://www.cumberlandschools.org/transportation/index.html
m: Cumberland Police Department, (2007). Telephone Listings. Retrieved October 15, 2007, Web site: http://cumberlandpolice.com/Telephone%20Listings/Listings.html
n: Public School Review, (2007). Cumberland District Public Schools. Retrieved October 15, 2007, Web site: http://www.publicschoolreview.com/agency_schools/leaid/4400270
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r: Cumberland High School, (2007). Cumberland High School Home Page. Retrieved October 17, 2007, Web site: http://www.cumberlandschools.org/schools/CHS/index.htm
s: Greatschools.net, (2007). Cumberland High: District Overview. Retrieved October 17, 2007, Web site: http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/ri/other/74
t: Visit New England, (2004). Rhode Island: State and Local Parks. Retrieved October 17, 2007, Web site: http://www.visitri.com/current_category.1545/companies_list.html
u: Cumberland High School, (2007). Cumberland High School Programs of Study. Retrieved October 17, 2007, Web site: http://www.cumberlandschools.org/schools/CHS/index.htm
v: Rhode Island Department of Education, (2006). Cirriculum and Instruction: Advanced Placement Exams. Retrieved October 17, 2007, Web site: http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2007/state/ap.pdf
w: Wikipedia, (2007). Cumberland High School. Retrieved October 17, 2007, Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumberland_High_School_%28Rhode_Island%29
x: U.S. Census Bureau, (1999). Income Distribution. Retrieved October 18, 2007, Web site: www.factfinder.gov(URL Shortened)
y: Rhode Island Department of Education, (2006). Cirriculum and Instruction: Students with Disabilities. Retrieved October 18, 2007, Web site: http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2007/state/disab-lre-placement.pdf
z: Barrington Police Department, (2001). Uniform Crime Report. Retrieved November 1, 2007, Web site: http://www.ci.barrington.ri.us/government/police/ucr.htm
z1: Area Connect, (2005). Providence Rhode Island Crime Statistics and Data Resources. Retrieved November 1, 2007, from Area Connect Web site: http://providence.areaconnect.com/crime1.htm
z2: Area Connect, (2005). Newport RI Crime Statistics. Retrieved November 1, 2007, from Area Connect Web site: http://newportri.areaconnect.com/crime1.htm
z3: RIDE, (2006). Learning and Achievements: Assessments. Retrieved November 1, 2007, from RIDE Web site: http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2007/pdf/achievement/08114H-achi.pdf
z4: RIDE, (2006). Safe and Supportive Schools: Connectedness. Retrieved November 1, 2007, from Barrington High School Web site: http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2007/pdf/connectedness/01106H-conn.pdf
z5: U.S. Census Bureau, (2006). Rhode Island Fact Sheet. Retrieved November 1, 2007, from US Census Bureau Web site: www.factfinder.gov
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CR EVAL - GREG